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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pound · rest · bark · hand · plane · scale · leaves · club

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. hand — in cards
  6. club — for golf
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. rest — a break
  11. scale — size or range
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bark — to shout
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — in music
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. club — a group
  22. plane — a tool
  23. hand — help
  24. club — for dancing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com